Behind closed doors: A grounded theory of the social processes that describe how parents talk to their children about parental mental health difficulties

Nolte, Lizette
(2014)
Behind closed doors: A grounded theory of the social processes that describe how parents talk to their children about parental mental health difficulties.
DSysPsych thesis, Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.
Full text available

Abstract/Book Review

Since the government commissioned the Crossing Bridges programme in 1998 (Falcov, 1998) and through legislation and a number of government policies and initiatives since, there has been emphasis on addressing the needs of families where there are parental mental health problems. Furthermore, there is a fast-growing body of research pointing to the needs of these families. However, service structures, development and provision have lagged behind. Most often parents with mental health difficulties have access to services addressing their individual mental health needs while their needs as parents and the needs of their children remain largely invisible. One such need that has been highlighted repeatedly in the literature is the need for children to have information about and make sense of their parent’s mental health difficulties. Given the lack of services to respond to this need, it is most often left to the parent to make decisions about and respond to their child’s search for understanding.
This study is a qualitative study that explores parents’ experiences of decision-making and responding to this need, and the social processes and dominant discourses that impact on these experiences. Fifteen parents with mental health difficulties were interviewed, using semi-structured individual interviews, which were transcribed, and interpretive Grounded Theory was employed to analyse and interpret the data.
The grounded theory that was constructed suggest two main social processes that impact on parents’ talking with their children about parental mental health issues. Firstly, within a relational context, parents were Negotiating mutuality between themselves and their children. Secondly, within an identity context, parents had to navigate Holding on to self, holding on to life. These social processes indicate that both parents’ relationships with their children and also their own sense of themselves within the context of their mental distress powerfully shape telling, talking and keeping silent. Implications of these findings both in relation to clinical interventions and future research are considered. In particular, the importance of positioning the parent as active role-player in the healing of their child, and positioning the child as active role-payer in their own meaning-making, are highlighted. Furthermore, developing ‘double-stories’ beyond the mental health story and beyond ‘information’ is emphasised and the importance of a sense of continuity of self and identity over time for parent and child is accentuated. Finally, the importance of allowing for complex and ever-evolving understandings of mental distress is indicated, and the role of both talking and remaining silent in this process is stressed.

Item Type:

Thesis
(DSysPsych)

Additional Information:

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of East London in collaboration with the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust for the Professional Doctorate in Systemic Psychotherapy, M10